This invention relates in general to devices for dispensing material stored on spools and more specifically to a device for dispensing and accurately measuring multiple strands of wire from stock stored on a single spool.
Electricians charged with the task of wiring sophisticated electrical systems in buildings wherein multiple extended lengths of insulated wire are needed typically use a vertical rack system to aid in dispensing the wire from spool stocks mounted on horizontal rods in the rack. In such a system, where multiple strands of wire of equal length are needed, the electrician will mount a quantity of spools on the rack with the number of spools corresponding to the number or quantity of wires needed. Then, a strand of wire from each spool is simultaneously pulled from each spool to a desired length and cut. If the quantity of wires needed is in excess of the spool mounting capacity of the rack or the number of spools of wire available to the electrician, then multiple xe2x80x9cpulling and cuttingxe2x80x9d operations are required to obtain the desired quantity of elongated equal lengths of wire. Where the length of wire needed is significant, such as 20 feet or more as in the wiring of a commercial facility, an electrician or technician must perform multiple wire xe2x80x9cpulling and cuttingxe2x80x9d operations. The prior art does not provide any convenient device or method for accurately dispensing multiple strands of wire other than requiring a spool of wire for each strand desired when dispensing the wire. What is needed is a method and device for accurately measuring and dispensing multiple strands of wire from a single spool of wire.
A device for measuring and dispensing multiple elongated lengths of wire at a desired wire length from a single supply spool of wire, according to one aspect of the present invention, comprises a stationary member, a first plurality of pulleys rotatably attached to said stationary member, a supply spool rotatably attached to said stationary member, said supply spool having a wire wound thereon, a mobile member, a second plurality of pulleys rotatably attached to said mobile member, and wherein said wire on said supply spool is looped once about each of said second plurality of pulleys on said mobile member, and about each of said first plurality of pulleys on said stationary member in an alternating fashion in accordance with the number of elongated lengths of wire desired, and wherein said mobile member is displaced from said stationary member a distance equal to the desired wire length and said wires are cut from said first and second plurality of pulleys.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for measuring and dispensing desired lengths of wire.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that enables the measuring and cutting of multiple equal lengths of wire from a single spool of wire in one operation.
Still another object of the present invention is to reduce the time and difficulty encountered when multiple long lengths of wire are needed for an electrical wiring project.
These and other object of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments and accompanying figures.